Apple may have found another way to make the App Store pay up

Apple could be preparing changes to the App Store as the company looks for ways to increase revenue and improve margins from its services business, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman via the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. The exact changes remain unclear, but the reported effort is being driven largely by new Apple CEO John Ternus and services chief Eddy Cue.

The report also links the discussions to the recent departure of longtime Apple executive Phil Schiller. After stepping down as Apple’s marketing SVP in 2020, Schiller became an Apple Fellow and took responsibility for running the App Store. According to the report, Schiller was opposed to the proposed direction because he believed such moves could further frustrate developers and governments.

Apple could look at several ways to squeeze more from the App Store

There is currently no clear indication of exactly what Apple intends to change. However, the report outlines several possible approaches that could increase the App Store’s margins or recurring revenue.

One possibility would be changing the way Apple reviews apps. The company could potentially reduce or eliminate parts of its manual review process, which could lower costs. The report notes, however, that further automation could be unpopular with users, particularly if it affects how effectively apps are reviewed.

Another option could involve Apple increasing its developer membership fee, currently listed at $99 per year. The report also suggests Apple could potentially introduce subscription fees for large developers based on traffic, effectively shifting some infrastructure costs to companies operating high-traffic apps.

For developers, those possibilities could have a much bigger impact than they initially appear to. Higher costs or new fees could make running apps on Apple’s platform more expensive, particularly for smaller developers. At the same time, changes to App Store economics could eventually influence how developers price subscriptions or services.

Developers and users will have to wait for Apple’s next move

For Apple, the reported push reflects the enormous financial importance of the App Store and its wider services business. But the company could face a delicate balancing act: increasing revenue without making the platform less attractive to developers or drawing additional scrutiny from regulators.

For now, the plans remain unconfirmed and the report does not provide a specific timeline for any App Store changes. The next step will be watching for concrete details from Apple about whether it intends to alter developer fees, app review or other aspects of the platform.

In other words, there is no App Store price hike or policy change to act on yet. But if Apple does move ahead, developers are likely to feel the effects before ordinary users do.